Why Christmas drives up airport taxi demand
Between mid-December and early January, Bilbao Airport (BIO) lives through one of its annual peaks. Trips concentrate around family reunions, New Year getaways, the arrival of tourists to experience the Basque Christmas and the mass return after the holidays. On the key days —the weekend before Christmas Eve, 23 and 24 December, 31 December, 1 January and the Epiphany long weekend— transfer demand multiplies.
This means two things: taxis run out sooner and public transport reduces frequencies on public holidays. Booking in advance stops being a convenience and becomes a necessity.
Key tip: at Christmas, book your airport taxi several days (or weeks) in advance, especially for 24 and 31 December and 5-6 January.
Fixed price with no holiday surcharge
One of the great advantages of booking with us on these dates is that the price is fixed and closed, with no holiday or night surcharge. While the traditional meter applies special fares at Christmas, New Year's Eve and on public holidays, our price is the same as any other day of the year:
- From €25 from Bilbao city centre to the airport (see city-centre to airport taxi).
- No surcharge on 24, 25, 31 December, 1 and 6 January.
- No night surcharge for early or overnight flights.
- Tolls, VAT and luggage included.
The amount you see when booking is the final one, whatever the date or time.
Family flights: luggage, children and presents
At Christmas you travel loaded: suitcases, presents, and often with children or grandparents. The door-to-door taxi avoids having to manage all that on public transport:
- Unlimited luggage at no extra cost, including bulky presents.
- Baby seats and boosters available if you travel with children (taxi with child seats).
- Van of up to 7 seats for large families or groups reuniting (van taxi for groups).
- Home pick-up so you don't carry suitcases through the street in mid-winter.
Flight tracking: key with winter weather
Winter brings fog, rain and sometimes delays, and Christmas concentrates so many flights that delays are more common. If you give us the flight number, we track it in real time and adjust the pick-up time to the real arrival. Even if your flight is delayed, the driver will be waiting: you don't lose the taxi or pay extra.
What time should I leave for the airport at Christmas?
On high-demand dates, allow a slightly bigger margin than usual for traffic and check-in queues:
- Travel time depending on your area (15-20 min from the centre, more from other towns).
- +2 to 2h30 of margin for check-in and security, a bit more on peak dates.
- For international flights or 24 and 31 December, add an extra margin to be safe.
Check the terminal times and services in our Bilbao Airport guide.
Christmas from other provinces: not just Bilbao
Bilbao Airport is the gateway for the whole Cantabrian coast and its surroundings, and at Christmas it welcomes travellers from beyond Biscay. We also offer fixed-price transfers with no holiday surcharge from:
- San Sebastián / Donostia (~1h): San Sebastián – airport taxi for those spending Christmas on the Gipuzkoa coast.
- Cantabria / Santander (~1h): Santander – airport taxi, to fly as a family without relying on the bus on public holidays.
- Logroño and La Rioja (~1h30): Logroño – airport taxi, with winery pick-up if your wine getaway coincides with the holidays.
- Vitoria-Gasteiz (~50 min): Vitoria – airport taxi, with tolls included.
- Biarritz and the French Basque Country (~1h30): Bilbao – Biarritz taxi, to connect with flights from BIO.
All these routes keep the closed price with no holiday surcharge, especially valuable on 24 and 31 December and Epiphany.
Book a return trip for the holidays
If you already know your outbound and return flight dates, book both trips at once. You secure the vehicle on the two trickiest days and forget about looking for transport when you return, perhaps in the early hours or on a public holiday. It is the most relaxed way to enjoy Christmas without worrying about transport.
Tips for your Christmas taxi
- Book in advance, especially for 24 and 31 December and 5-6 January.
- Give us the flight number for tracking in case of weather delays.
- Tell us if you travel with children, a large group or lots of luggage so we assign the right vehicle.
- Book a return trip to cover the two busiest days.